Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari issued a stern warning to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the "worsening" law and order situation in Punjab. He warned that if the situation does not improve then he will have to terminate the eight major highway project worth Rs 14,288 crore in the state.
The letter comes after the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) workers, inolved in the construction of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, were allegedly intimidated and assaulted. As per media reports, the workers and engineers involved in the project were attacked in Jalandhar. The project camp and staff in Ludhiana were also reportedly threatened with arson and violence.
In his letter, Gadkari highlighted that the cancellation of even a single segment could render the entire project ineffective.
He also raised questions about the safety of officials and contractors as he warned the Aam Aadmi Party-led government in Punjab to take action.
Previously, NHAI had terminated projects worth ₹3,263 crore covering 103 km due to delays in land acquisition.
Citing incidents of Jalandar attack on NHAI employees, Gadkari wrote: "In one incident in Jalandhar District, the Engineer of the Contractor was brutally assaulted. Although FIR has been registered in this regard, strong action is required to be taken against the perpetrators."
"In another incident in Ludhiana District, the Project camp of the Contractor of Delhi-Katra Expressway was attacked by miscreants, who also threatened the engineers to burn the project camp and their staff alive. However, FIR has still not been filed and the miscreants have not been arrested despite written request by NHAI officers," Gadkari added.
Gadkari also mentioned that the lawlessness in the state has led several concessionairies to terminate their contracts, raising claims against NHAI.
"It is pertinent to note that due to pending issues related to land acquisition and the prevailing law & order conditions, concessionaires have requested to foreclose contracts and have raised claims against NHAI. If the situation does not improve, NHAI will have no other option but to cancel/ terminate 8 other severely affected projects with total length of 293 km costing 14,288 crore," he warned.
The Union Minister also urged Mann to take immediate action in view of the prevailing situation in Punjab.
"I request that the State Government immediately take corrective measures, file FIRs and take strong action against the perpetrators in order to prevent such incidents in future and to restore the confidence of NHAI officers and staff of the concessionaires," he wrote.
A meeting was held with Punjab's PWD Minister on July 15, where several issues were discussed, but despite that, the law and order situation did not improve and instead worsened, he stated in the letter.
Following Gadkari's letter to the Punjab CM, IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill stated that the matter is under Mann's review. He also said that an FIR has been registered and a Special Investigation Team formed to probe the incidents.
"The law and order situation is under control. There were two such incidents and we will look for security if needed by NHAI," the IGP assured.
'BJP Hates Punjab': AAP
Responding to Gadkari's claims and warning, AAP leader and Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the Union Minister deliberately issued the statement under a "well-planned strategy" and alleged conspiracy.
"... I think that deliberately, under a well-planned strategy, under a conspiracy, he (Union Minister Nitin Gadkari) has given such a statement. The situation of law and order in Punjab is good and industries are coming to Punjab and the state is moving ahead," Cheema said.
"I think the BJP hates Punjab," he added.
Punjab Minister Aman Arora also refuted the Union Minister's claims, maintaining that the law and order situation in Punjab is "absolutely fine". He also said that the Centre should explain the basis of such claims.